


Second Chance

by WhiteWolf1088



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, F/F, Femslash, Merlin - Freeform, Righting the wrongs of the past, Time - Freeform, Time Travel, f/f - Freeform, twist - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 04:47:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13896582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteWolf1088/pseuds/WhiteWolf1088
Summary: Hermione is called in to learn about a mysterious ancient time turner believed to have been created by Merlin himself which launches her back in time to her 4th year. With so much knowledge and power comes a responsibility to change things and that is exactly what Hermione Granger plans to do. One thing is for certain though, she will make sure that her and her mate get the happy ending they deserve.





	1. Chapter 1

            The breeze was cool and light as it played across Hermione’s skin. She smiled softly to herself as she took a sip of her morning coffee and felt slender arms envelope her from behind. A nose buried itself in her neck and she leaned back into the form behind her.

            “Mon amour” the figure said with a wide smile as she placed a kiss on Hermione’s neck.

            Hermione smiled and turned around to look into the deep cerulean eyes of her wife. Placing her left hand on Fleur’s cheek, Hermione leaned in to capture Fleur’s lips, the ring on her finger sparkling in the rising sun. They stood on the porch of their country home, green hills and water spreading out among trees as far as the eye could see.

            “I really must go to work my love,” Hermione said as the pair pulled apart. Fleur’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she pulled Hermione close.

            “But we both know I need you more than they do” Fleur purred in Hermione’s ear. Hermione blushed and playfully shoved her wife on the shoulder before leaning up to kiss her once more.

            “You’ve made me late enough Fleur Isabelle Delacour.”

            “Mmmmm I do not agree ma cherie but fine if you must. Tell Harry and Ronald that I say hello.” Fleur smiled and gave her wife a hug before stepping back. Hermione winked at her before disapparating with a subtle pop.

 

* * *

 

 

            Hermione arrived at the Ministry a few minutes late and winced as a loud voice called out from behind her as she snuck into her office.

            “Delacour! Just because you were once a famous part of the Golden Trio and are practically royalty does not mean that you get to be late to work. Do not make this a habit.”

            Hermione sighed and shook her head as she took a seat in her office chair, taking a look at the large pile of paperwork neatly lined up in the center that was no doubt dropped off by her assistant that morning. A note on top of the stack caught her attention and she furrowed her brow as she read it.

            “Please come to the Department of Mysteries at your earliest convenience. There is a case on which you must consult on at once” the note read.

            Hermione frowned before standing up from her chair. She made her way out of the office and nodded to her assistant as she passed her. At the elevator Hermione pressed the 9 button and waited as the doors shut and the elevator began to move. As the doors opened on the 9th floor Hermione spotted a familiar pair talking next to the entrance of the Department of Mysteries. Harry and Ron both turned and smiled as they embraced their friend. Harry was the first to speak once the trio broke apart.

            “So, I see that they have called you up on this case as well huh? I can’t imagine what it would be to need our opinion and expertise.”

            Hermione nodded her agreeance. “The head aurors and the head of the Department of Magical Creatures… doesn’t seem likely that our ministry positions would be called in to consult on the same case. It must be something to do with our status as the Golden Trio then, it’s the only explanation I can think of.”

            It was at that moment that the doors swung open to reveal a figure who was for all intents and purposes completely unidentifiable. The man was in fact so plain that one’s attention seemed to just glide directly over him without truly noticing him. It was from these facts that the trio deduced that he was an Unspeakable.

            “Quite right miss Granger” a deep voice spoke. “We have recently discovered something quite unsettling in our continuing clean up of the aftershocks of the war. As you all three know, there remain deatheaters and those that believe in Voldemort’s ideas even this long after the war has ended.”

            The trio followed the man into the vast room that appeared empty save for a table upon which a small ornate silver box sat. The group approached the box and were surprised to see a unique silver pocket watch resting in its’ center.

            “We found this in the jungles of South America believe it or not. We had been tracking a group of particularly nasty enthusiasts when we stumbled upon this box in the ruins of an ancient temple. We know it to have some incredibly powerful magical qualities and protective spells surrounding it though most of them we cannot even begin to crack or understand.”

            “If the best minds in the world can’t crack it then what the bloody hell do you expect us to do about it?” Ron asked with a look of baffled amusement.

            Hermione frowned at the man while Harry stifled a laugh. Hermione, always up for a good puzzle or challenge, observed the object herself. The Unspeakable laughed and nodded as he continued.

            “Well, our belief is that the object holds many qualities of a Horcrux. There seems to be strong blood magic at play as well as many protective and, how should I say, enticing spells on it.”

            “Enticing?” Harry questioned.

            “Indeed. You remember the way that the Horcrux’s twisted your mind and called for you to believe and do things darker than what you would normally? Well, this particular object seems to have a similar effect without the dark magic. The object also seems to hold a sort of sentience that we have yet to see in a magical artifact beyond that of perhaps the sorting hat at Hogwarts. We have spent weeks testing the object but have found nothing, that is until it spoke to us.”

            “Spoke to you?” Harry looked at the pocket watch with an odd expression before turning back to the man before them.

            “We had discovered that the object was not connected to any dark magic and was as far as we knew completely harmless but vastly powerful. One of our recruits offered to take the testing a little further so we proceeded to lock him in a magical bunker to test the effects of the object. The moment that he touched the thing he went catatonic and remained that way for over 3 days. When he came out of it he was seemingly mad with excitement about what he had learned. According to him, the object is looking for someone though it couldn’t say who. The object showed him its creation and its use over the years.” The man paused and took a deep breath.

            “The findings are extraordinary I must say. However, that is not why I am here. The watch said that the timeline is always changing but that the chance to make everything right is but a breath away. What our guy suggested is that this pocket watch can do the impossible and send someone back in time as far as they would like to go.”

            Hermione’s eyes were wide as she listened. “That’s impossible. There have been countless witches and wizards over the centuries that have tried to create such a thing and all have failed. No one has ever traveled more than a couple years back in time and even then there were dire and fatal consequences.”

            The man turned to look at Hermione with a small smile. “Ever the bookworm I see miss Granger. Indeed which is why we did not believe him. We thought him to be mad until he recited the strangest poem with eyes glassed over.”

 

“ _I am Time and me alone,_

_Can tell the story down to every stone,_

_The son of Merlin I am,_

_Seeking my Master once again._

_Though he is gone,_

_I shall always remain,_

_For I am Time,_

_And Time will always stay._

_There is one who belongs to three,_

_It is them I seek and no one else,_

_For the Master of Time must truly be,_

_A worthy successor to Merlin himself.”_

            The man recited the poem and all three members of the Golden Trio looked as baffled as ever.

            “What in the bloody hell does that even mean?” Ron laughed. “Time isn’t something you can control and smash into a tiny clock.”

            “I assure you mister Weasley that we believed the same thing initially. But, after much research we discovered an ancient text about Merlin which mentioned a few of the magical objects that he created before his death many centuries ago. As you all know, Merlin was considered the father of magic and though we have no idea how he obtained magic we always presumed it was somehow innate within him. This text suggested that Merlin created a number of magical items one of which was a device which gave the wielder unparalleled power and knowledge by giving them control of time itself. The text did not say much other than that Merlin marked the object so that it would find a new master with the innate ability to rival his own. There were a number of limitations listed in Merlin’s own notes about the object including that the wielder may not travel forward to the future.”

            Hermione looked like someone had just told her that she just gained access to every book and tome on the planet in that moment and the man laughed as he noticed her excitement and intrigue.

            “If you remember, Merlin was the one that created the enchantment that held King Arthur’s sword in place. There is a similar locking enchantment on the pocket watch that we have been unable to even partially break through. We have made some progress though on a particular locator aspect of the enchantment which is why you three are here today. Our understanding of the locator enchantment is that it indicates where one can find the so called master mentioned in the cryptic poem. Once we broke that part of the enchantment, everyone in the room was thrown into the very center of the Battle of Hogwarts quite like one would be in a pensieve memory. We identified the perspective as belonging to one of you three according to multiple eye witnesses who can confirm that you three were all standing in the same line of sight at the moment we were shown. So, we are here today to see if by some miracle any of this is true.”

            The stunned and apprehensive looks that the man received from the trio were quite comical and he shrugged with a look that said he was just doing his job. He gestured to the silver pocket watch and looked at Harry who stepped forward hesitantly and picked up the cold piece of metal. Harry laughed as he set the item back in its case, earning odd and curious looks from his friends.

            “The damn thing said one destiny was enough for me” he explained.

            Ron stepped forward and picked up the watch next, setting it down moments later with a face becoming quickly as red as his hair.

            “It has a sense of humor I’ll tell you that. Better be careful ‘Mione that thing has an attitude nearly as bad as yours was back when I tried to get you to help us with our potions essays.” Harry laughed along with Ron as they waited for Hermione to pick up the watch. The woman turned toward the pair and stuck her tongue out at them as she reached forward.

            “Well it’s a bloody good thing I don’t have to go through that again then isn’t it” she retorted with a wink.

            The moment that her fingers touched the cold metal of the watch Hermione felt herself being wrenched deep within the recesses of her mind. She now found herself in a dark room lit by rows and rows of floating candles. There were bookshelves that lined from the floor to the sky and further than the eye could see down in length. Leaning against one of the shelves with a book in hand was a tall and slender man with dark hair and neatly groomed facial hair. He was completely unfamiliar to the woman and as such she began to panic despite her fascination at the endless knowledge laid out before her.

            It was then that the man looked up from his book and Hermione was startled to see vivid silver eyes staring back at her. The man’s book vanished from his hands and he gestured to two seats that appeared in between them.

            “Do have a seat dear you look quite faint. Not that I can blame you, I really do have an impressive collection.” The man’s smooth voice rang through her head in an almost ethereal way and she slowly made her way over to one of the sofa chairs.

            “Where am I?” Hermione asked.

            “Hmmmm everywhere and nowhere.”

            “What kind of an answer is that?” Hermione asked frustrated.

            The man simply smiled and conjured to glasses of warm tea which he promptly handed one of to her. “It is an honest answer my dear. The best of answers. Though I presume you want to know more. Always the studious one you are.”

            The man squinted at her and sipped his tea before continuing.

            “I am Time, much like Death who gifted the Deathly Hallows, I too have given humanity a gift in the form of that pesky little pocket watch you now find in your possession. You see, when he was a little boy, Merlin already had so much magical power. Back then there was no one to train him and accidents continued to happen as he learned to control his magic. So, when his father taught him to watch the stars and sun to track the passage of time, Merlin was fascinated. As he grew older he became desperate to find an equal, a better even, and so he connected with an energy he did not quite understand. This energy was time itself. Like Death I appeared to Merlin and found him to be an excellent student and an even better friend. When it was nearing his time to pass, Merlin asked if he could use my power to live on in spirit and so this watch was created to store his memories and soul in a way that would not prevent him from moving on into the afterlife once Death claimed him. As Time I do not truly serve anyone or anything but Merlin was as close to a master as I will ever have. As much as I taught him, he taught me. He created a way for me to remain physically in contact with mankind and for that I consider myself, at least in this place and body, to be his son, his creation. One day I would find the person to take over the knowledge and power contained within this watch and I have waited centuries to find that person.”

            The man paused to sip his tea once more, a small smile tugging at his lips at the absolute wonder expressed on Hermione’s face.

            “The body you see before you is merely a portion of my spirit. I allowed Merlin to create the first time turner with a fragment of my very being and so a part of me, a part of Time itself, remains within this object. I am more a mix of Time and Merlin than I am a true representation of the spirit and being that is Time. However, I can serve as a window to Time if needed. For now, I am an independent sentient being derived from the fragment of Time and the soul of Merlin built to serve those who are worthy. Admittedly I’ve been awfully lonely waiting here so you can imagine my excitement to finally be sitting across from you.”

            “Me? Why in the world would Merlin and Time itself be interested in me?”

            “Ah Miss Granger you have no idea of the power within you. But you will learn and you will become a true embodiment of magic as it was in the days of Merlin.” The man leaned forward and smiled as he summoned a book from deep within the collection. “Start here Miss Granger and read as much as you would like. This entire library is yours from now until your death. Here, we are in a limbo of sorts, time is at a standstill and when you choose to return you may let me know. You will not feel hunger, thirst, fatigue, loneliness, or anything else that would prevent you from gathering all the knowledge you wish while you are here.”

            The man disappeared without a sound and Hermione was left alone to try to wrap her mind around the past couple of minutes. After awhile, she realized that everything was indeed real and not part of some elaborate curse or dream and decided to read the provided book. The tome was interesting and Hermione soon found herself reading one after another.

 

* * *

 

            It would be many years later that Hermione finally took a break from reading to notice that she had read thousands upon thousands of books. She called upon the man who said she could call him Chronos if she wished.

            “Chronos how long have I been gone?” Hermione asked.

            “If time had passed it would have been 3 years, 64 days, 27 minutes, and 12 seconds.” Chronos responded. At that, Hermione dropped the book she was holding in shock.

            “I must go back. I have so much to share, so much that I have learned.”

            Chronos nodded. “When you wish to return, simply hold the pocket watch and will yourself back here.”

            With a smile, Chronos took Hermione’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She felt a sharp tug at her navel far worse than apparation and found herself lying face first on a cold tile floor. As she came to, she heard the worried voices of her friends above her and sat up rubbing her head.

            “Bloody hell ‘Mione you scared us!” Ron yelled as his friend woke up.

            “Guys you simply won’t believe what just happened to me,” Hermione said excitedly as she rose to her feet.

            The first thing she noticed was that they were in fact not in the Department of Mysteries but rather in what looked suspiciously like Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. As she regained more focus she looked at herself in the mirror and screamed. Instead of the war hero, ministry head, and happily married woman she expected to see, it was a very young version of herself flanked by similarly young versions of her two best friends that she saw.

            “I did not just bloody travel back in time” she muttered as she ran a hand through her hair. Slipping a hand in the pocket of her robes, Hermione felt a familiar metal trinket and sighed. Deep within her mind she could practically hear Chronos laughing and she mentally cursed him.

            Now an adult woman with the knowledge of a future yet to come and magic beyond that of a fourth year student, Hermione Granger looked at herself in the mirror and vowed to use this opportunity to stop the war from ever taking place.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Hey everyone! I was too excited to wait the typical week between posting another chapter so without further ado I hope you all enjoy. As always read and review it helps encourage me to write more and faster.

 

* * *

 

 

            Hermione carefully surveyed her friends before asking them what happened. Harry looked at her with worry and the trio soon found themselves making their way to Madame Pomfrey’s, albeit with a protesting Hermione Granger in tow.

            Hermione was lost deep in thought as they walked through the winding corridors of the castle, wondering who to tell and how about her current situation. She soon decided that Harry and Ron both needed to know and they would, as they always did, work together from there.

            It was a few minutes later that Madame Pomfrey cleared Hermione to leave with a warning about reducing her stress levels. On their way back to the dormitory Hermione struggled to find out what time she had actually gotten herself sent back to. So far there was no way to know what year exactly or what point of the year she was in.

            Once in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione grabbed her two friends and pulled them into a corner where she quickly cast a few charms to keep them from prying eyes and ears.

            “Alright we need to talk and before you call me crazy I need you to truly listen to what I am about to say.” Hermione took a deep breath to steel her nerves before continuing. She was after all still a teenager in body if not in mind. “I am not the Hermione that you know, not now at least.”

            “What are you talking about ‘Mione? That doesn’t make a bit of sense” Ron interrupted.

            Hermione rolled her eyes at him before saying, “well Ronald if you’d let me explain then you would understand.”

            Ron turned red in the face and Harry stifled a smile before clapping his best friend on the back and nodding for Hermione to continue. Hermione smiled at him in return and continued on with her story.

            “Well, yesterday I was a happily married woman consulting on a case in the Department of Mysteries with you two. This was of course after the war had ended and Voldemort had been defeated. And yes Ron, before you ask, I am talking about time travel. It seems that the object we were investigating together was a time turner of sorts and it ended up taking me here, over 20 years in the past.” Hermione pulled the pocket watch out of her robes and opened it to show them the enchanted silver sand floating within. “It may sound crazy but I need you both to listen. I am not the shy little bookworm you both knew up until now. I am a battle hardened 35 year old woman with the knowledge and magic to match it.”

            To prove her statement Hermione cast a nonverbal spell to ruffle Ron and Harry’s hair playfully. Both of the boys looked, as expected, shocked. However, Harry had a contemplative look on his face that Hermione recognized as being his skeptical acceptance of the matter.

            “The pocket watch was imbued with a sentient soul and it sent me back here I’m assuming to change the time line. Whatever the case may be, I refuse to let this war take my friends and family away from me again. This time, we take the war to Voldemort.”

            Ron winced slightly at Hermione’s use of You-Know-Who’s name but nodded. Harry also gave her a lingering look and a subtle nod though both boys were considerably shocked and confused at the revelation.

            “We can never have a bloody normal year can we?” Ron joked awkwardly. Hermione and Harry laughed and all three stepped into a group hug. “How do we know that you aren’t lying Hermione? That you are even our Hermione at all.”

            “I see that you are still the best strategist and most loyal man I know Ronald.” Ron blushed a shade of crimson and averted his eyes sheepishly at the compliment.

            “Well, I know that you have been crushing on me for years though in the end we both figure out that we aren’t right for one another. Harry what year is it?”

            Harry frowned slightly before replying. “Fourth.”

            “Ah okay well if it hasn’t yet, Hogwarts will soon announce that we are to hold the Triwizard Tournament this year. The two schools that will be participating are Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. And yes Ron, Krum will be here for it, and he will actually be the chosen champion. A woman named Fleur Delacour will be Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory will be Hogwarts’. However, Harry you will be chosen as well without putting your name in the goblet because of dark forces at play. Those dark forces are in the form of Mad Eye Moody, the DADA professor this year actually being a death eater using polyjuice to impersonate Mad Eye. That should be enough to convince you if you aren’t already.”

            Harry’s eyes were comically wide as he gaped at Hermione in shock. Ron for his part had a similar expression on his face.

            “Well the tournament was announced yesterday, the other schools should be arriving today.” Harry said.

            Just then, many excited students rushed down the stairs and out the entrance, chattering about the impending arrival of the other schools. Rumors about how they were going to arrive were being bounced around and Hermione just laughed and shook her head at some of the outlandish modes of transportation some students were suggesting. Hermione carefully took down the charms hiding them and they joined the students making their way to the black lake out front of Hogwarts.

            Hermione leaned over to her friends as they stood amongst the crowd and whispered “Durmstrang has a giant pirate ship and Beauxbatons comes on a flying horse drawn carriage. In case you needed some rather fast confirmation of what I told you earlier.”

            Almost on cue, a massive ship broke the surface of the black lake and came to a creaking stop, splashing many students who were standing too close to the shore. As the students unloaded Ron tugged at Hermione and Harry’s robes excitedly as a familiar buzzed head came into view.

            “That’s him! That’s Krum! He’s the best seeker in the world Harry I’ve never been this close. Our World Cup seats have always been rather far.” Hermione laughed and gave Ron a gentle squeeze.

            The next school to arrive was Beauxbatons, landing elegantly in the grass behind all the Hogwarts students. Hermione took a deep breath as the carriage was unloaded, waiting until she saw a familiar blonde exit as regally as expected.

            “Oh bloody hell” Ron croaked out as the Beauxbatons girls passed him on their way into the castle behind the Durmstrang students. Ron’s face was turning slightly purple as he stared open mouthed and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs to break him out of his trance.

* * *

 

 

            After the schools were introduced and the tournament was explained, the feast began. Hermione however could not help but find herself watching a particular tall veela, swallowing her distaste as countless men and women fawned over her.

            It was only moments later that the blonde stood up and made her way over to their table. Hermione turned as Fleur spoke.

            “Excusez moi, are you finished with the bouillabaisse?”

            Ron was turning purple once again, his mouth hanging open as his eyes fixated on Fleur. Fleur however only had eyes for a certain brunette who carefully handed the dish over to the French woman, making sure that their fingers brushed ever so slightly. That contact however sent electricity coursing through both of their arms and Hermione felt Fleur’s thrall envelope her.        Fleur’s eyes sparkled as Hermione’s skin left her own. The veela in her was dancing in circles, thrall pressing up against her newfound mate in an effort to test her magical strength and compatibility. Over the years Fleur and Hermione had learned that her thrall was a part of her that expressed her emotions and became harder to control when those emotions were high.

            “Hi, my name is Hermione.” Hermione smiled at the blonde, loving the way she could feel her thrall excitedly spiraling around.

            “Bonjour ‘ermione” Fleur said softly. There was something about the small brunette before her that made Fleur pause. Her magic was strong, much stronger than it should have been this early in the brunette’s life and there was a certain aged wisdom evident in her eyes that Fleur could not help but take interest in. “Perhaps you would be willing to help me find my way around the castle? It is much larger than Beauxbatons I am afraid.”

            Hermione smiled and nodded. “Of course. If you would like, we can start our tour tonight. While everyone finishes their feast the castle should be fairly empty and easy to navigate.” The blonde nodded and held up a delicate finger before turning on her heel to return to her table where she set the dish down and leaned over to whisper something in a smaller blonde’s ear. Gabrielle squealed with delight and began to turn to look at them before Fleur’s hand on her shoulder rather forcefully prevented her from doing so. Hermione giggled as she imagined the smaller blonde’s frowning face and the rapid French that was no doubt being spoken between them. After a moment, Fleur turned around and headed back to the Gryffindor table where Hermione stood and led them both out of the Great Hall.

 

* * *

 

            “So, what is your name?” Hermione asked with a small smile, knowing that Fleur had yet to tell her in this timeline.

            Fleur gasped and apologized before muttering at herself in French. When she looked back up to meet Hermione’s eyes she told Hermione her name, which of course the British witch already knew.

            As they made their way around the castle, Hermione diligently pointed out each and every spot and path Fleur would need to know. It was once their tour ended that Hermione became slightly nervous. Was she supposed to tell the French witch that she already knew exactly who she was and what the connection between them was? What if such an outlandish story pushed Fleur away instead of drawing her closer? Hermione’s mind was whirling uncontrollably until she felt a soft hand slip into her own and give it a gentle squeeze.

            “What is the matter ma belle? You have grown silent and thoughtful all of a sudden.” Fleur’s blue eyes shone with worry and Hermione felt her thrall cover her comfortingly.

            “Fleur I need to tell you something and I don’t think you will believe me. It scares me to think of losing you when I just met you.”

            Acting on instinct, Fleur turned and wrapped her mate in a warm embrace, resting her chin on top of the brunette’s head as she burrowed into Fleur’s neck and breathed her in as she used to do in her past life. The embrace and Fleur’s scent calmed Hermione almost instantly and she pulled away, looking into the cerulean eyes that still held her captive after so many years.

            “I’m not from here” Hermione blurted out, immediately wanting to smack her head against the nearest wall at such a ridiculous statement.

            “I do not care if you are English or not Hermione” Fleur responded with confusion.

            Hermione laughed and shook her head. “No Fleur I mean I’m not from here as in I’m not from now. Not from this time.”

            Now Fleur looked incredibly confused, a slight head tilt adorably accentuating that fact. The stunning blonde quirked an eyebrow to signal Hermione to continue.

            “I was thrown back in time to my 4th year in order to change the impending future and right the wrongs of a war that hasn’t even happened yet. Of course, you’re probably wondering why in the world I’m telling you this, a seemingly random stranger whom I just met not even a few hours ago. Well, it’s because you aren’t a random stranger Fleur. I know what you are and I know what I am to you. In my past life, we didn’t know until well after the war and by then it was nearly too late.” Hermione sighed and looked at Fleur who stood with a furrowed brow staring at the brunette before her.

            “Then tell me. What exactly do you think I am mademoiselle?” Fleur’s tone left no room for lies or games and Hermione could tell that her words had struck the French woman.

            “You are a veela. A very secretive race thought to be somehow related distantly to sirens. You are stunningly gorgeous and you have this way of drawing people in without meaning to. It infuriates you however, not being able to control it. It’s called thrall and it’s an emotional extension of you that you will only gain proper control of once you have found your mate and completed the ritual to seal the unbreakable bond. If your mate were to reject you, you would get sick and eventually you would die because veela are a race built on love and sexuality. Without a mate your purpose in life ceases to exist, at least that’s what the veela in you would say. You are however only partially veela because you were born to a human father and veela mother. Only women can be veela though their mates can be of any gender, race, or origin.”

            Upon finishing her small speech, Hermione looked deeply into Fleur’s eyes. Inside she saw the fear and apprehension, though she could also see acceptance slowly building. Hermione stepped forward and took Fleur’s hand, smiling softly at the subtle jolt that passed between them.

            “And me? I’m your mate. This time, I don’t want to wait decades to realize that. I want to love you as long as I can Fleur Isabelle Delacour. I didn’t get to experience this the first time around and I understand if this is too much and you need time to process it or to make sure that my words are true.” Hermione looked away at that last part, her teenage body overruling her adult mind as tears welled up in her eyes. She wordlessly vanished them with magic and looked back up at Fleur as she felt slender fingers grab her chin and tilt her head so that their eyes could meet.

            “Oui Hermione I am a veela. As such I knew that you were my mate the moment I stepped up and saw you. I could smell you before I even reached you, that’s how powerful this seems to be. I have read about this, heard about this from my family but it is so different experiencing it for myself. I do not know how you managed to travel back in time so far without dying, nor do I know what the future holds, but I assume you know the answer to both and are going to tell me in time.”

            Hermione looked at the veela and nodded before holding up a finger telling her to wait. She then reached into her robes and as her fingers brushed the cold metal of the pocket watch, she willed herself back to the library within.

 

* * *

 

            Hermione appeared in the room and called out for Chronos who appeared on the couch in front of her. She took a seat in an armchair across from him and rolled her eyes at the Cheshire grin on his face. His fingers began drumming on the armrest of the couch and he waited for the brunette to begin her onslaught of questions.

            “First off, why the hell did you send me back in time? I thought you said all I had to do was will myself to return back, to my time mind you, and poof I’d be there.” Hermione waggled a finger at the man accusatorily and his grin only grew.

            “Well dear you didn’t really think I was getting nothing out of this did you? Oh no, no indeed. You see, this year something important happens. Mr. Tom Marvelo Riddle rises from the dead and so begins the second wizarding war. This however greatly angered my friend Death, for Tom was supposed to die many times before and yet the slippery bastard always kept cheating Death. As you can imagine, Death does not like to be cheated, none of us do, and so he asked for my help to right the timeline. I was to find my person, send them back in time to a point before the war truly took its toll, and Death would repay me with a favor someday. Favors in our ethereal world are hard to come by as you can imagine so of course I took him up on it. All you need to do is live your life and do what you are already planning to do, change the timeline to stop the war.”

            “Are you saying that the deaths in the war were not orchestrated by Death himself but rather a result of Voldemort cheating Death and starting his genocidal war? That the entire hell I lived through in my first life was actually not supposed to happen at all? You have got to be kidding me.” Hermione looked particularly pissed off and Chronos shifted uncomfortably in his seat at receiving the icy glare from the witch before him.

            “Some events and some deaths will still happen because they are part of the intended natural order of things. Mad Eye Moody will still die, Albus Dumbledore, and dozens of others who were slaughtered in the name of the “pureblood cleansing.”” Chronos shuddered at the thought.

            Hermione sighed and looked off at the walls of books.

            “Can I bring someone else here? So I can prove that this is real?”

            Chronos smiled and snapped his fingers. A very confused and alarmed Fleur Delacour appeared in the seat next to Hermione, wand at the ready.

            “Oh my god” Hermione exclaimed, throwing a rather sour look at the man across from her who was laughing merrily.

            “Welcome dear. My name is Chronos, I am a sentient being created by Merlin and Time. I’m sure miss Granger has explained some of this to you but if she has not or there are any gaps please read this.” Chronos reached out and a large dusty book appeared in his hand.

            Fleur looked over at a very apologetic looking Hermione and back to the silver eyed smiling man before taking the extended book. The moment that she opened the book however she was sucked into it rather forcefully. Hermione leapt up in alarm and drew her wand at Chronos who simply moved it down with one finger.

            “Give it a moment miss Granger. This was far easier than repeating everything. I find that’s rather boring to do. There are in fact much better ways to spend ones time.” Chronos chuckled at his own joke.

            In a few seconds, Fleur reappeared holding the book, her expression contemplative if not a bit overwhelmed. She explained that the book had essentially worked as a pensieve in which she saw everything explained to Hermione and even a bit of their first life together and the war as it was in Hermione’s timeline. Though frustrated at Chronos’ lack of manners and warning, Hermione had to admit that it was indeed much better than waiting through yet another explanation of what all had happened.

 

* * *

 

 

            They were returned to their present time after catching up some more, Fleur learning that she rather liked the entertaining man in the watch. It was nearly too much to learn in one day however and Fleur found herself extremely exhausted from the day’s events. Hermione offered to walk her to her carriage and the pair set off across the grounds.

            Once they arrived at the carriage entrance, Fleur gave Hermione a shy smile and leaned in to press a gentle kiss against the smaller girl’s cheek. Hermione blushed and returned the smile before wrapping Fleur in a tight hug.

            They had much to learn about one another that was for sure, but at least now their love had a 20 year head start and a war to stop.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** A huge thank you to everyone that read and reviewed the last chapter. You guys keep me going! 

As always, please read and review.

 

* * *

 

            Hermione woke up the next morning with nervous butterflies dancing around in her stomach. Today was the day in which the champions would be chosen, and Hermione couldn’t help but worry about Fleur. The first time around, she had only worried about Harry, and if she was being honest it wasn’t anything like the worry she was feeling for Fleur.

            Upon entering the Great Hall for breakfast, the Golden Trio sat next to one another and began talking amicably about the day’s events. It was indeed odd to have someone who knew practically everything that was going to happen before it did, but at the same time it came in handy. They had discussed a best course of action and decided that keeping the timeline as intact as possible would give them the best advantage since it would better ensure that Hermione actually did know what was going to happen.

            Dumbledore tapped on his glass and stood, beginning the speech Hermione had already heard once before about the tournament. When the goblet began to spit out names Hermione was relieved to see that each of the chosen champions were the same in this time. As a certain lithe blonde made her way to the front, Hermione’s eyes tracked her every movement. Of course, Fleur knew this and added an extra sway to her hips and turned over her shoulder as she passed through the door to throw a teasing smile toward her mate.

 

* * *

 

 

            Fleur Delacour was never one to back down from a challenge or run when things got hard. Of course, upon finding out that her mate was actually from 20 plus years in the future was incredibly intimidating. Not only was Hermione’s magic far too advanced for someone so young, but there existed that certain look in her eyes that said she had seen and experienced some shit. Then there was the fact that Fleur had met a man in a silver pocket watch who showed her that he was some sentient creation embodying the most powerful wizard in magical history and time itself. It was indeed a lot to wrap one’s mind around but Fleur knew deep down that her mate wasn’t lying to her.

            The tournament was explained to the group and they were sent off to begin training for the first task, unfortunately with no idea what the task would even be. Fleur was struggling with herself on whether or not to let Hermione tell her what the first task was, knowing that she inevitably would tell her and Harry in order to protect those she cared about. On one hand, Fleur did not want to have an unfair advantage and feel like she won because of it. On the other hand, however, Fleur knew that there were far greater forces at play and larger things to worry about.

            Hermione smiled as Fleur approached her, and Ginny frowned at the veela. Harry came over soon after Fleur and the group began talking about the first task and its potential danger. They all made their way to the library and took their places on various armchairs and couches. It didn’t take long for Fleur and Hermione to end up subtly touching one another, something Harry and Ron failed to notice entirely.

            However, for another member of the Weasley family, such actions were as obvious as Snape in a dress and heels. Ginny coughed and made eye contact with Hermione, giving her head a subtle jerk towards the door, excusing herself to go to the restroom. Hermione sighed and stood up before following the red head down the corridor.

            Once inside and alone, Hermione silently cast silencing charms and protective wards around them so that they would have complete privacy. The red headed girl looked angry and offended as she rounded on her brunette friend.

            “Hermione Jean Granger what is going on? First I have to hear about you passing out from my brother, which is ridiculous by the way, and now you’re somehow close to the Beauxbatons champion? That and you’ve been acting strangely for a few days now. I rather feel like there’s some sort of secret I’m not being let in on.” Ginny huffed as she finished and crossed her arms.

            “Oh Gin, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wasn’t sure how you would take it or if you’d even believe me when I did. But here, take this, it should answer all of your questions.” Hermione handed Ginny the silver pocket watch and Ginny stared at it with a baffled look before looking up at Hermione’s serious face.

            “You’re serious?”

            Hermione nodded and Ginny took hold of the pocket watch. Not even a millisecond later, Ginny handed it back, her brow furrowed.

            “That’s bloody insane.” Ginny muttered to herself. “So the boys know I’m assuming?”

            Hermione nodded.

            “That doesn’t explain the French woman you seem strangely comfortable with.”

            Hermione blushed. “Well, in my past life I dated your brother for quite some time. We thought we would get married someday, it was what everyone seemed to expect. After the war ended however, we realized that it wasn’t what either of us wanted and we went our separate ways. I met Fleur in my 30’s through work, it had been decades since we last saw one another. Merlin Ginny, when I laid eyes on her it was as if something just clicked into place within me. We fell in love and got married soon after, though it had been only a few months of marriage before I was thrown back in time.”

            Ginny gave Hermione an incredulous look before bursting out in a fit of laughter. When she finally caught her breath and fanned her red face, Ginny looked at Hermione who looked rather affronted by her friend’s laughter.

            “You mean to tell me that you ended up going from my brother to that gorgeous thing? Merlin’s balls ‘Mione that’s the most ridiculous improvement story I have ever heard. Ron and every other man around can’t even breathe when she is around and here you are saying you were actually married to her in a past life. My nerdy bookworm of a friend landing the absolute most beautiful person I have ever seen in my entire life?” Ginny began to laugh once again and Hermione’s frown deepened. She crossed her arms petulantly in front of her.

            “Ginevra Weasley it’s true! Would you quit laughing like I’ve just told the best joke you’ve ever heard?”

            Ginny stopped and upon seeing her friend’s face, wrapped Hermione in a hug. The girls talked more about Fleur and the future that Hermione was sent to change before heading back to the library. Hermione had told Ginny to keep quiet about Fleur to the boys since she wasn’t sure how they would react. Ron would probably get jealous and cause problems that Hermione couldn’t afford to be dealing with at the moment. Ginny warned her that Harry would likely notice something soon though, and Hermione agreed to tell them after the first task passed.

            Hermione did end up telling her champions what the first task would be and they both set about preparing their strategies on how to deal with it. It was a couple hours later that the boys and Ginny excused themselves, tired of studying and being surrounded by books.

            Fleur looked at Hermione, nose buried deep within a book, and smiled. The veela within her was happy to have found its mate though it was now pushing to begin the mating ritual so that they would be magically bonded together. Fleur blinked to try and get rid of the urge to reach out to Hermione and succeeded until Hermione looked up at her with a raised eyebrow and small smile.

            “Come on Fleur you can’t distract me like that” Hermione spoke. “Your thrall is all over me and it’s quite hard to concentrate when I can feel it pulling me closer.”

            It did feel like that to Hermione, a tantalizing presence pulling her closer, making her crave the closeness of her veela counterpart. Hermione knew how the thrall worked to speed up the ritual between mates, each portion of the ritual requiring a different aspect of Fleur’s thrall. This gentle pull was intended to get the two closer together in an attempt to speed up the first part of their mating ritual which is a kiss.

            Once the kiss was completed, Fleur’s thrall would become possessive and more animalistic. The first portion of the ritual was intended to let mates get to know one another and insert a sort of closeness that neither would be able to shake until after the ritual was fully completed. The veela within Fleur was getting more and more restless as the days ticked by, needing her mate touching her, needing to learn all that she could about the small brunette.

            These were the moments in which Fleur could better control her instincts, for once they had their first kiss, the veela within her would push to complete the rest of the ritual. If she resisted or Hermione wished to wait, Fleur would become more and more overwhelmed with her veela instincts and her thrall would likely go haywire and attract all sorts of unwanted attention. The second event of the ritual is the marking, a small white scar left by Fleur to claim her mate so that all creatures and humans alike would know that Hermione was spoken for. The bite was said to be aphrodisiacal and painless, the veela’s way of ensuring that the third and final step of the ritual went smoothly and followed soon after.

            Though Hermione and Fleur both knew the ritual, Hermione had no idea how different each step would be for a teenager. Her hormones and magic were constantly active and strong and it took her by surprise to feel the differences this soon in the process. Fleur’s thrall was intoxicating and unlike when she was 35 and experienced, this body had never felt such emotions and tantalizing temptations before.

            Fleur smiled as Hermione stood up and offered her hand, unable to ignore or deny the desire to touch her veela in some way. They made their way to the black lake and Hermione cast her normal protective wards around them for privacy. The pair sat and talked for hours, summoning food when they got hungry and blankets and pillows as the sun began to set. Hermione found herself slowly edging toward Fleur throughout their day together, something Fleur was happy to notice and accommodate.

            Fleur wrapped her arm around Hermione’s waist and pulled her close so that the smaller witch could rest her head on Fleur’s shoulder. Both girls breathed the other in slowly and sat intertwined watching the sun go down over the lake. Hermione briefly wondered if they would consider this night their first official date as she laid her head on Fleur’s chest and closed her eyes. Fleur made sure that there were enough blankets and pillows around and under them as she cradled the sleeping form of her mate against her.

            The two girls quickly fell asleep together, lying on the hill overlooking the black lake where they had watched the sun go down.

 

* * *

 

            The next morning Hermione stirred awake, slowly becoming aware that there was a warmth against her and arms securing her in place. She breathed in the familiar scent of vanilla and flowers that was distinctly Fleur before blushing madly at the position she found herself in. With one arm draped over Fleur’s stomach, head tucked in her neck, and one leg draped in between Fleur’s, Hermione was very comfortably laying half on top of the blonde witch.

            It was odd really, having been in that same position many times over the years, including with an older version of the witch beneath her, yet this young body having not experienced any of that. Though her mind knew it was nothing compromising or overly intimate, Hermione’s young body was experiencing something new and exciting. Her heart began to race as Fleur’s fingers gently shifted to touch the skin of her side in her sleep.

            As Fleur began to wake, so too did her thrall, and Hermione quickly rolled away at the feeling of warmth spreading down from her stomach. The thrall was almost playful as it welcomed her, knowing that it had successfully gotten Fleur’s mate close to her.

            Fleur blushed as she realized all of this, smiling apologetically at Hermione as she sat up as well. Hermione took in the sight before her, a younger version of the woman she once knew and loved, and could barely breathe at her beauty. This Fleur was unmarred by the harsh world and responsibilities that the war had created for them both. Hermione too lacked the scars, both emotional and physical, caused by the war.

            This was their second chance Hermione realized. A chance to do it all over again as it should have been the first time.

 

* * *

 

 

            It was a few days later that the first task was set to begin and Hermione was a nervous wreck. She had spent all of her time researching everything she could on dragons, helping Harry learn the basic spells he needed to survive the task, and helping Fleur with more advanced measures to get around a dragon.

            Hermione snuck into the tent and gave Harry a long hug before wishing him luck as the champions got ready for the first task. Unlike the first time however, Hermione immediately turned and jumped into Fleur’s arms as well.

            “I will be fine mon amour. I had a great teacher non?” Fleur gave her mate a smile and set her gently back on her feet.

            Hermione backed out of the tent once she was dismissed by the professors and made her way up to the stands where she watched the tournament begin. Cedric Diggory was the first to go, taking a long time to get the egg and coming out with many wounds immediately addressed by the medical team standing by.

            It was when Fleur stepped onto the field that Hermione’s heart nearly stopped. She knew that her mate would be okay but still she couldn’t help but be worried as the great dragon turned its head toward Fleur.

 

* * *

 

            Fleur leapt behind a rock as a jet of white hot flame erupted from the dragon’s mouth upon seeing her. She took a deep breath and began to cast a rather complex charm to turn the rocks underneath the dragon’s feet into quicksand. Firing with deadly precision Fleur jumped out from behind the rock and cast her spell, surprising the dragon as it found itself being sucked into the earth. It began to send jets of flame all over in a panic, its movements causing it to sink further and further into the dirt until it was elbows deep. It was then that Fleur cast a binding jinx combined with a transfiguration of chains that Hermione and Fleur had designed together in order to cancel out the dragon’s ability to breathe fire. The chains themselves were lined with runes and resembled a magical muzzle which fit securely over the thrashing dragon’s head. Fleur sprinted over toward the golden egg, knowing that her charms would only last a few minutes longer.

            Upon successfully grabbing the egg, Fleur placed it on the edge of the arena and walked back toward the dragon much to the surprise of the onlookers and dragon keepers that had begun to move in to subdue the dragon.

            Hermione and Fleur had done extensive research and discovered that veela and dragons had a special connection based in their shared ancient magical origin. It was said that the veela and dragons not only lived together but fought together, and some texts referred to the rare ability of a veela to truly magically connect with a dragon.

            Fleur and Hermione spent days practicing an ancient spell designed to link a dragon’s mind with that of a veela, enlisting the help of Chronos and his vast library to ensure that it would work as planned. The first time around, Hermione had shuddered at the horrible treatment of the gorgeous but deadly creatures during the first task, taking note of the long scars that lined their bodies. Dragons were a long feared and revered line dating back to Merlin’s first encounters, but they used to live at peace with the world until they began to be hunted and captured for entertainment.

            As Fleur approached she made eye contact with the frenzied dragon and cast the spell to connect their two minds. At once Fleur was slammed with the fear and pain of the dragon before her and it nearly brought her to her knees. Never breaking eye contact, Fleur did her best to send calming waves through the new connection until she could feel the dragon’s panic subside ever so slightly.

            “ _My name is Fleur Delacour. I am not here to hurt you. I want to free you but I need your help to do so.”_

            The dragon’s eyes seemed to widen as it regarded the veela before it. It blinked slowly in affirmation before stilling its movements and watching her.

            “ _My mate wishes to free the dragons from this cycle of abuse and subjugation. I know that you are scared of witches and wizards but I promise that you can trust me and her. We are working on ways to make sure that you stay safe, a place for you to go once you are out of here.”_

            The large green dragon blinked once more.

            “ ** _I am Ayllon”_** a female voice rumbled through Fleur’s head.

            It was Fleur’s turn to be surprised and she couldn’t help her excitement.

            “ ** _You say you can free us, protect us. I do not believe you.”_**

            “ _I know and I don’t blame you. We have found a series of mountains completely uninhabited by humans, it is too high for them to go without magic. We are working on creating runes that would prevent apparation to the mountain that would be controlled by you. This would allow you to choose which witches and wizards may visit. We have texts from Merlin that we are consulting to find such magical precautions to protect you. So far we have only found a few, but it should be enough to give you shelter until we figure out a more permanent solution.”_

            “ ** _Merlin? I am not old enough to know him but Rasei, the Hungarian Horntail, may. He is the oldest dragon at our sanctuary. If what you say is true then I am sure Rasei will help.”_**

            Fleur blinked at the dragon before waving her wand and releasing the chains that held its massive jaws in place. It was a sign of trust, knowing that the dragon could roast her or swallow her whole in less than a second if it so pleased. She sighed in relief however when Ayllon simply looked at her and blinked, their silent form of trust passing between them. Fleur quickly reset the ground beneath Ayllon’s feet as well before turning around and grabbing the golden egg and heading out of the arena.

            Hermione and Fleur both smiled to themselves as murmurs of shock surrounded them. The first change to the timeline had been made and Hermione could not have been more happy with how it turned out. With the help of Chronos and the many allies that they were planning to make over the next few months, the dragons would successfully be saved. They would likely prove to be invaluable assets to the upcoming war as well.

            Hermione now had powerful allies, a place to safely store the horcruxes they would soon begin collecting, and a way to destroy them since dragon fire was one of the few things that could.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Welcome back everyone. I have been working on my other story more lately but have not given up on this one at all and after a few reviews urging me to pick it back up, I have decided to return. I also love the ideas I have in store for this story and am excited to take you all on the adventure I have planned. I have decided to begin responding to a few of my reviews each chapter but I love and appreciate each one.

 

As always, please read and review / follow the story if you enjoy.

 

* * *

 

            It was dark outside as Hermione slipped across the grounds towards the Beauxbatons carriage under Harry’s invisibility cloak. She startled as she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind and was about to retaliate with a barrage of defensive spells when she realized the familiar scent enveloping her.

            “Fleur what the hell?”

            Fleur simply smiled like a child who got caught stealing cookies and slipped underneath the cloak to join her mate. Hermione rolled her eyes as Fleur pressed a gentle kiss to her temple in apology.

            “You are my mate, ma belle, I will always be able to sense you no matter the magic hiding you from my sight.”

            The girls began to walk deep into the Forbidden Forest, wands carefully raised in case they encountered a particularly unpleasant creature. The walk went without a hitch however and they soon found themselves looking upon the encampment where the dragons were being held. There were four massive cages side by side guarded by a few dragon keepers, who, Hermione noticed with angry distaste, had multiple magical weapons on them in order to keep the dragons in line.

            Hermione slowly slipped out of the cloak and began casting numerous spells on herself to mimic the effect of the cloak, adding protective wards and spells to prevent detection to both herself and Fleur who was still underneath the cloak. Despite being younger in body, both Hermione and Fleur knew that Hermione was far more experienced with magic and as such was the better choice for being the one out of the cloak’s protection.

            The girls split up quickly and Fleur began to work on putting the guards to sleep as Hermione worked to take down the enchantments guarding the dragons. A familiar green head glinted in the glow of the flames at the camp and large eyes watched the pair as they silently took down both the guards and the cages magical barriers.

            A pair of bright red eyes tracked the girls every movement before coming to rest on the invisible form of Fleur as she stood in front of his cage. It was disconcerting to have ruby eyes boring into her, knowing that she was invisible in more ways than one thanks to the cloak and Hermione’s magic. But, Fleur carefully unlocked the cage and stared into deep red as the massive black dragon shifted its weight and began to move forward.

 

* * *

           

Soon, all four dragons stood in a circle around the girls, unfolding their wings and moving their limbs quite like a human stretching after waking up from a long nap. They knew they only had a little time before the keepers woke up or the guards not near the cages realized what had happened, so they needed to act fast.

Using the same spell from the first task, Fleur opened her mind to the dragons around her. She could sense the different personalities as they all regarded her curiously. There was a definite sense of mistrust and wariness floating around though no one could really blame them for that.

“ ** _You came_** ” Ayllon’s voice rumbled. Fleur figured that was the first step to gaining their trust and so she smiled even though they could not see it.

“ _As I said I would”_ Fleur projected to the group. “ _My mate and I have found a spot for you to live in peace and freedom. Once we arrive we will set up wards to prevent anyone but us from coming. If a witch or wizard wishes to find you, they must make a highly treacherous trek up the side of the mountain without magic. We will put dampeners in place in various spots so that magic will be canceled out for a certain distance. It should protect you, but we will continue to look for ways to improve. We can apparate there now or fly with you that choice is completely yours.”_

As she finished speaking, Hermione carefully walked over and placed her palm flat against the rough scales of the first dragon, projecting a magical map to the location so that the dragon knew where it was going. She did this for each of the dragons but was surprised when she felt the scales of the black dragon heat up on contact. Its red eyes simply stared at her, and after a moment Hermione felt a gentle probe in her mind.

Due to years of training in legilimency and occlumency, Hermione immediately slammed her mental walls into place with a frown. The dragon before her let out a noise quite akin to a snort before blinking.

“ ** _You are good child. I can see why he chose you.”_** The voice that slipped through Hermione’s mind was deep and somehow enchanting. Hermione nearly laughed to herself as she realized that such a voice would make the absolute best storyteller. Her shock was evident however as she blinked rapidly in surprise and stared at the ancient being with knowing red eyes.

“ _Apparently not good enough”_ Hermione muttered through their newfound connection. “ _How am I hearing you? I’m just a human.”_

“ ** _The veela are not the only ones capable of talking to a dragon. It just comes easier to them.”_**

“ _Did you really know Merlin?”_

“ ** _Many centuries ago, yes. He was a lot like you. Eager to learn, courageous to a fault, wise beyond his years, and loyal even to those he barely knew.”_**

Hermione blushed and shuffled her feet. “ _Well I just don’t believe in the entrapment, abuse, or taking advantage of creatures or humans.”_

The dragon blinked at her slowly before turning towards Fleur who stood deep in conversation with Ayllon and the other two dragons. The massive black dragon extended his wings so that one reached out to Fleur and one to Hermione and he stared at them expectantly.

“You want us to climb on?” Hermione asked incredulously. She looked apprehensive and slightly terrified, something that Fleur noticed almost immediately.

“Come on mon amour. I will hold you the entire time, you have nothing to fear. Rasei will not let us fall.”

Rasei blinked once more and Hermione climbed onto his back to sit in a nook between his scales that quite resembled a seat. She was muttering to herself the entire time and Fleur stifled a giggle upon hearing the curses coming from her mate’s mouth. Rasei and the other dragons too seemed entertained by the small brunette who huffed once she was settled. Fleur slipped in behind her and wrapped her arms around her mate’s waist, pulling her close.

“I did not know you were afraid of heights ma cherie” Fleur whispered into Hermione’s neck, causing the younger girl to shudder. Hermione simply made a grumbly noise which quickly turned into a squeak as Rasei stood to his full height and stretched out his wings.

All at once, the four dragons beat their massive wings against the air and took off, soaring far above the camp. Through her connection to them, Fleur could feel the happiness and reluctant hope filling the dragons as they flew toward the clouds above. Soon, Hogwarts became a subtle glow beneath them and cities began passing underneath. Hermione had her eyes squeezed shut and her grip on Rasei would have been slicing her palms were it not for the incredible softness of black scales that were simultaneously almost impenetrable. Fleur laughed in delight as they drifted amongst the clouds, looking down at the world below in wonder.

 

* * *

 

It was a couple hours later when the dragons landed heavily in what appeared to be a massive valley between mountains covered in snow. Hermione and Fleur slid off the dragon’s back and landed in snow that was nearly chest deep. With a yelp Hermione cast a warming charm on both her and her disgruntled looking mate, as well as a charm to ensure that they would not sink into the snow.

“ ** _There is great natural magic here. Even the air tastes of it.”_** Rasei rumbled, his voice projecting into both Fleur and Hermione’s minds.

The girls nodded, not able to feel the natural magic as strongly as Rasei but feeling a certain thrum beneath them that resonated oddly to their very core. They began to cast the necessary spells on the area, Hermione explaining each as they put them into place.

“First we will do the magic dampening spells along the mountain. This will take an extreme amount of energy, so we may need to rest after putting them into place.” Hermione and Fleur began murmuring the enchantments, eyes widening as the extremely complex and difficult spell flowed out of them with relative ease.

“What the” Fleur exclaimed, her French accent slipping through slightly stronger than usual.

“How odd” mused Hermione aloud, her forehead crinkling. “It seems as if the earth’s natural magic is so concentrated here that performing spells is much easier here than anywhere I’ve ever been. We should be needing at least a break after performing that spell but instead I feel as if I never cast a spell at all.”

“ ** _Magic has existed far before humans. Definitely far before humans learned to better channel it with a silly stick. The earth has a natural magic, with centers in which magic is more concentrated such as this, connected through invisible lines that cross and span the entire globe.”_** Rasei’s ruby eyes swept over the girls and toward the ground beneath them, his massive claws gently digging into the snow. He internally smiled upon seeing the absolute wonder take over both of the girls’ faces, Hermione’s mind already reeling with research, questions, and applications of such knowledge.

It was an hour later when the girls finally finished putting up the wards, anti-apparation blocks, magic dampeners, and various other spells to ensure the safety and beneficial nature of the dragons’ new home. Hermione even made sure to point out areas in which local animals grazed where the dragons would not be seen as they hunted. She also assured Rasei and the other dragons that she would look into ways to either keep animals close by and reproducing fast enough for a stable food source or look into ways to make plants taste like and have the same dietary benefits as meat.

Now though, it was time to head back to Hogwarts before the school woke and realized that a certain bookworm and champion were missing. As the sun peaked out from over the horizon Hermione and Fleur gave their goodbyes for the time being and disapparated back to the edge of Hogwarts’ grounds.

 

* * *

 

When they officially woke for the day, both girls were unsurprised to hear murmurings of the missing dragons. There were wild rumors flying about the young populace, everything from a dragon rebellion to rogue muggles stumbling upon the dragons, accidentally freeing them, and then being eaten. Hermione rolled her eyes at her classmates’ theories before heading to the Great Hall. She knew that the blocks she had put in place on both her and Fleur’s minds would hold up to even the best of leglimens so she was confident that no one would find out where the dragons had gone. She had also enacted a modified tongue-tying jinx on them both so that if it were not of their own free will, neither girl would be able to locate or disclose the dragons’ location.

Once she entered the Great Hall Hermione sought the cerulean blue of Fleur’s eyes, giving her a small, reassuring smile before sitting down with her group at the Gryffindor table. Once seated all eyes turned to her expectantly, Harry being the first to speak.

“’Mione, you never mentioned the dragons going missing. Was it Voldemort?” Harry whispered.

“I bloody well hope not. That sadistic bastard doesn’t need dragons on his side that’s for damn sure.” Ginny declared, crossing her arms in front of her with a frown.

Hermione silently cast her normal protection charms around them, so they could speak in private, before saying, “that’s because it didn’t happen in my original timeline. It was I who freed them.”

“What?” Ron yelled, his eyes wide and mouth agape. “Why the bloody hell would you do that ‘Mione?”

“Think about it Ron, you all saw the connection that Fleur had with her dragon during her trial. You also all know that the dragons are nearly extinct and being held in captivity and constantly mistreated. I wanted to save them, so Fleur and I snuck there last night and moved them to a secure location. Plus, if they decide to help in any way, dragons would make a formidable ally in the upcoming war. It is of the upmost importance that you reveal this information to no one and if you are all willing I would like to place a few protective charms and jinxes on each of you, like the ones I placed on Fleur and I, to prevent this information from being taken from any of us.”

“There’s more to the dragons than size and brute strength” Ron mused aloud, his face thoughtful. “An aerial advantage, anti-magical shielding from the scales, and you mentioned before that those scary pieces of You-Know-Who’s soul could be destroyed by fiendefyre. Dragon’s fire is a more concentrated, controlled version of that according to Charlie. I’m sure that it could be used to destroy those things as well.”

Hermione simply beamed at Ron and leaned over the table to wrap him in an awkward, tight hug. She ruffled his hair a bit as the boy turned red in color.

“You’re absolutely right Ron. We will need your strategist abilities more than ever now that we have the dragons. I would like to talk to you about many things with regards to them including whether the location we have them at now is sufficient, food sources, and of course practical and perhaps battle application if they are willing.” Hermione sucked in air at the end of her rant and the group laughed.

“Even if you aren’t exactly our Hermione, you sure act like her. I guess some things never change huh?” Ginny laughed, playfully shouldering Hermione who smiled bashfully.

It was then that Dumbledore’s voice rang out over the students and the Great Hall became quiet as each student turned in their seat to listen to him.

“Now, I know that each of you has heard about the dragons used in the first task. There is no danger for students however and the ministry is investigating. We must now turn toward the second task. Champions have with them the clue needed to successfully prepare for the second task. Once the feast is over, students shall return to their classes as normal and wait for the second task which shall take place in exactly 3 months from the day of the first task. As such, classes will continue as normal as the champions prepare.” Dumbledore’s voice rang with power and authority, his age seeping through as he spoke in the form of an elderly man’s waver.

The resounding cacophony of student chatter and movement began almost immediately after Dumbledore finished his speech and food appeared before them. For their part, the golden trio and Ginny simply spent their feast joking around like, at least to Hermione, they used to in the good ‘ole days.

“Oi, what class do you have first today?” Ron asked the group. Each member pulled out their schedule from their bags and looked them over.

“Defense Against the Dark Arts with Moody” Harry responded. Hermione nodded to indicate the same and Ron clapped his hands together.

“Great we all have class together. At least ‘Mione is there to help us with book stuff.” Ron shot Hermione a goofy smile and she threw a croissant at him which he happily caught out of the air and began to eat with a content sigh.

 

* * *

 

As the students filtered into class, Hermione was pleasantly surprised to notice a familiar blonde entering as well. It was when Mad Eye Moody’s glass eye swirled around the room, catching what appeared to be every misbehaving student as class began, that Hermione had to refrain from fidgeting under its wary gaze.

“My name is Alastor Moody, ex-auror and your new defense against the dark arts professor. I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story. Goodbye. The end. Any questions?” Mad Eye looked around the room with pursed lips, weight resting on the cane beside him. “No? Then we begin. When it comes to the dark arts I believe in a hands-on approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?”

Hermione raised her hand and Moody nodded at her. “There are 3, sir. The cruciatus curse, the imperious curse, and the killing curse.”

“Correct. And they are so named because?”

“Because they are unforgivable, sir. Any one of them will get you a sentence in Azkaban.”

“Yes. Now, the ministry says that you are too young to see what these curses do. I say different” Mad Eye declared with a growl. “You need to know what you are up against, you need to be prepared!”

There were murmurs of surprise and discomfort from around the room as Mad Eye spoke again. “So, which curse shall we see first?”

Ron jumped in his seat with a yelp as Mad Eye yelled out his name. Shakily rising to his feet upon being asked to stand, Ron answered Mad Eye’s question with the only unforgiveable he was told about as a child, the imperious curse.

“Ah yes your father would know all about that curse” Mad Eye mused gruffly, “gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why…” Mad Eye’s voice hung about as he turned to his desk where a collection of bugs crawled about in jars. Reaching in, Mad Eye removed a rather large spider, using the engorgio spell to enlarge the spider until it was nearly as big as his hand.

Pointing his wand at the spider, Mad Eye cast “imperio.” The spider now danced and moved however he wished for it to move, jumping from screaming student to screaming student as Mad Eye cackled with a distinct air of madness. Hermione sat rigidly as everyone around her panicked, having already lived through this exact class before, yet unable to escape the glimpses of her demons created by the war that seeing the unforgivable cast was causing to surface.

As the class began to laugh, Moody laughed harder with them. Suddenly his laughter changed and he caused the spider to launch across the room into the glass pane of the window overlooking the grounds.

“Talented, isn’t she? What should I have her do next? Jump out the window? Drown herself?” Mad Eye flicked his wand so that the spider was now dangling above a bucket of water, her panicked noises and movements causing the entire class to flinch. Mad Eye then moved the spider back to her glass container, canceling the hold of the imperious curse once she was secure.

“Another, another” he growled out, his real eye locking onto the prone, scared form of Neville. Neville rose shakily to his feet, his eyes flitting only briefly to the man before him as he mentioned the curse that had robbed his entire family of their existence and happy ending. The cruciatus curse.

“The torture curse, yes. Come, come.” Mad Eye waved Neville from his desk to the front of the room where he trained his wand on the same spider as before and cast the unforgivable. The screams of the spider could be heard in every corner of the room and everyone’s blood ran cold upon hearing it. Neville averted his eyes, squeezing them shut.

Hermione flinched, her breathing becoming more rapid, her fingers tracing the nonexistent lines of a scar yet to be made on her forearm. Fleur looked at Hermione with concern, her thrall more anxious and frightened than it had ever been before, sensing the demons and the fear running through the younger girl’s mind. Fleur watched as Hermione’s fingers traced some unknown pattern on her left forearm, an action that seemed to bring her a great deal of pain, even though there was nothing actually there.

“Stop it!” Hermione yelled out. Mad Eye looked to her before shifting his attention to the young man who trembled with his eyes shut in front of him. He looked almost apologetic as he transitioned to standing before Hermione, the exhausted spider now placed directly in front of her.

“Perhaps you could give us the final curse Miss Granger?”

Hermione shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes despite herself. Harry and the rest of the class looked on in horror as Mad Eye trained his wand on the spider and yelled out the final curse, green light shooting out from the tip and encompassing the now immobile spider.

“The killing curse. Only one person has ever survived it and they are sitting in this very room.” Mad Eye limped over to Harry, his glass eye eerily focused on the scar covered by Harry’s hair. “Class dismissed.”

As everyone rushed to escape the DADA classroom, Hermione felt a soft hand on her arm and looked up to see Fleur standing beside her with a concerned expression on her face. The blonde’s eyes gently took in the rigidity of Hermione’s body, the anger, the fear, and the pain all evident in Hermione’s face and the emotions Fleur could feel rolling off her in waves. She looked to the arm Hermione had been touching, expecting to see the glimmer of a spell hiding something or perhaps a small scar at least but there was nothing.

Hermione stood, gathering her things and looping her arm through Fleur’s as she let herself be led out of the classroom. The two girls quickly found themselves in an empty classroom where Fleur carefully locked the door and warded the room. She wrapped her arms around Hermione in an embrace that the smaller girl seemed to melt into, feeling her body begin to shake and tears begin to soak into the front of her robes where Hermione’s face was pressed.

“Ma belle” Fleur whispered, holding Hermione tighter against her. It was a few minutes before the brunette pulled back, wiping her red eyes and tear stained cheeks and looking at the woman she would grow to love.

“It was this year when everything began for me. That the demons began to haunt and to chase. Before, it was mostly Ron and I helping Harry. But now, this year, this is when it began to change. Voldemort returns and” Hermione took a shaky breath “I saw too much too soon in life. From being in a war, being tortured…” Hermione trailed off, her fingers absentmindedly going to her arm once again.

“What happened ma chérie?”

Hermione glanced down to her arm, stilling her fingers that she hadn’t even noticed had gone there, and laughed bitterly.

“I have fought, I have killed, I have been on the run, I have been captured and tortured for hours on end for information I did not have. I have seen those I love die. The war took so much from me, not just physically but mentally as well. I cannot forget the faces of the dead, cannot forget the fear I felt when Harry, Ron, and I were on the run for an entire year. I cannot forget the feeling of her on top of me, the way that she laughed as she cast the cruciatus curse on me over and over again, the way she bruised and bit me, the way she carved the word ‘mudblood’ into my skin while laughing. The way that scar would forever be with me because it was done by a cursed blade that no amount of healing or time, no curse breaker I could find could fix. Every time I would hear that word or get scared from then on, the wound would break as if the word had just been carved. No amount of time could heal me, both physically and mentally.” Hermione ended with tears streaming down her cheeks, her brown eyes full of pain and suffering that did not belong in such a young, yet untainted body.

Fleur brought Hermione’s arm to her lips, leaving a gentle kiss on the tender skin. It pained her to know the suffering her mate had had to endure, especially since she was not there to protect her back then. In fact, the veela do not mate until both are above the age of 16 so that there is a certain level of maturity. Hermione now was only 15 in body, explaining why Fleur did not feel the mate bond with her the first time around until they truly met again so many years later. During this timeline however, the younger girl before her was a mix of both a much older version of herself and this young body, creating enough maturity that the veela within her must have been able to recognize her mate much sooner.

“Who hurt you zis way?” Fleur’s French accent slipped out a little more as her blue eyes flashed dangerously. The veela within her demanded retribution for her mate’s pain, demanded that she make the sadistic woman pay.

“Bellatrix Lestrange” Hermione sighed, a certain dip to her voice as she spoke the name aloud.

“I will kill her. She will not lay a hand on you. Je vous promets ceci.” Hermione gave Fleur a small smile, her heart doing a slight flutter at the French flowing so beautifully from Fleur’s lips.

“We are going to do far more than kill one person, Fleur. We are going to stop all of the bad things that never needed to happen from happening at all. There will be deaths yes, but only those that were already planned from the very beginning. Soon we must start collecting the horcruxes as quietly as possible. Voldemort is not even back yet, so now is the perfect time. He never expected us to get ahold of nor discover them in the first timeline, so there is no way that he will expect us to know and have most of them before he even returns.”

Fleur nodded and laid a gentle kiss to Hermione’s temple. Hermione smiled and wrapped the taller French girl in a tight hug, a sign of silent thanks and love. The two girls left the empty classroom fairly quickly, knowing that they must go to the rest of the days classes to keep up appearances at the very least. That, and Hermione, no matter how old she was in soul, could never purposefully miss or ignore a lecture even if she already knew all the information being taught.


End file.
